1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to motor vehicles. More particularly, the present invention relates to an apparatus for transferring impact energy from a tire and wheel assembly of motor vehicle to a sill.
2. Discussion
Many techniques have been employed in the field of motor vehicles to manage impact energy generated during a collision. The desire to transfer such energy to structural components of the motor vehicle is well known in the pertinent art. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,549,349 discloses a side impact protection system for a motor vehicle. The vehicle includes laterally spaced apart sills extending longitudinally along the vehicle. The side impact protection system includes a continuous, linearly extending cross member disposed laterally in the vehicle for transferring load and redistributing impact energy away from an impact side of the vehicle. The linearly extending cross member extends between, and is in abutment with, the laterally spaced apart sills and corresponding sill ceiling flanges. The linearly extending cross member transfers load and redistributes impact energy upon side impact of the vehicle.
A need remains in the art for more efficiently transferring energy generated during a front impact or an offset frontal impact from a front tire and wheel assembly to the vehicle frame.